Home Help: 3 ways to create visually striking doors in your home

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Monday

Jul 18, 2016 at 2:01 AM

TIP OF THE WEEKThink of a door opening and closing.

Chances are you pictured it swinging on hinges, since that’s how most doors operate. But, more homeowners are choosing other door hanging hardware for a unique look with their interior and exterior doors.

If you’re looking for a way to make visitors to your home say “wow,” consider alternatives to hinged doors for an unexpected twist.

“Once you’ve chosen the door that’s perfect for you, it can be hung in a number of distinctive ways,” says Brad Loveless, marketing and product development manager for Simpson Door Company. “A pocket door, sliding barn door or a pivot door can add some personality and pizzazz to your home.”

Pocket doors. Similar to closet doors hung on a track, pocket doors slide open and closed, but disappear into the wall when closed. Popular in home offices, bathrooms and utility rooms, pocket doors save space and can make a room feel more open. Using a pocket door in place of a hinged door saves about 10 square feet of floor space, notes home improvement expert Tim Carter.

Sliding barn doors. Barn doors are a bit like pocket doors in that they slide open and closed, but they’re hung on tracks that are visible. When opened, the doors are located on one side of the wall, instead of disappearing into the wall. For large openings, such as between dining rooms and living rooms, you can even hang multiple barn doors on tracks in order to divide the spaces.

Pivot doors. Common in ancient buildings, pivot mounted doors are virtually unseen in North American homes. For homeowners who want an element of surprise, a pivot door is a good choice. In place of hinges or overhead sliders and tracks, pivot doors rotate open and closed around pins installed in the top and bottom of the door frame. The pins are set several inches in from the door frame, depending on the door’s size.— Brandpoint

HOME-SELLING TIPAcid stained concreteHomeowners are looking beyond concrete’s core strength and durability to discover its beauty when treated with acid staining techniques. Specialty stains are used to add stunning depth and color that closely mimics stone, including marble. Perfect for basements and patio spaces, concrete experts pour the slab and then after it has cured, return to apply the stain treatment. The result is completely customizable and often closely resembles upscale applications at a fraction of the cost.— Brandpoint

DECORATING TIPTricked out folding chairsIf you’re a person who likes to entertain, you know the importance of having a few folding chairs around the house for extra seating. But after a while those invaluable folding chairs can take a beating and wind up looking like they belong in a recycling center. Instead of throwing them out, you can give your folding chairs new life with just a can of spray paint and some fabric. Start by removing the padding from the chair (usually just removing a few screws). Once the padding is removed, spray paint the chairs in your favorite color or use a different color for each chair. Then using the fabric of our choice (less than 1/2 yard for each chair), lay the padding onto the fabric with enough of the fabric to pull around the cushion and then staple it down over the top of the existing fabric. Trim the excess fabric and replace the cushions with screws to the frame of the chair.— More Content Now

GARDEN GUIDERecycled strawberry towerGranted, you can probably get strawberries any time by going to your favorite grocer’s produce section, but it’s even easier to go to your back porch and pick them yourself. With just a few recycled materials you can build your own strawberry tower with an internal water reservoir and enjoy fully ripe and juicy strawberries. Start with three 5-gallon nursery pots with drain holes in the bottom and then drill 8-10 holes in the side of each pot (no bigger than 1.25 inches). For the water reservoir, punch holes in the sides of a 1-liter plastic bottle and the cap (be sure to screw the lid on tightly) and cut off the bottom of the bottle. Fill your top pot (about half way) with soil and strawberry seedlings and place the bottle (cap-side down) into the pot. Fill the remaining space with rocks and pebbles, leaving the bottle exposed. Then fill the remaining pots with soil and seedlings and stack the three pots on top of each other. Fill the water reservoir every few weeks and rotate the bottom pots every 1-2 weeks for equal sunlight.— More Content Now